


The Morning After

by Kj_Ari23



Category: Banana Fish (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Ash comforts Eiji, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Hugging, Kisses, M/M, Not what the title makes it sound like, One Shot, Oneshot, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, hurt/ comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-16
Updated: 2020-06-16
Packaged: 2021-03-04 07:34:27
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,202
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24749950
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kj_Ari23/pseuds/Kj_Ari23
Summary: The morning afternormally implies pleasure. It’s a term that brings red to the faces of the bold and makes lovers bask in a heated memory.For the abused, if the coined phrase is spoken, it’s with shame. It sounds different to the ear and rolls off the tongue with chokes and sobs. Every word is separate making it into an entity all it’s own.When Ash used it, it was to describe one of two things: the times he’d awake after demons danced across his pale form, and the first lit hours after the escape from Golzine’s mansion..The morning after Shorter Died.The morning  after Eiji was almost raped.The morning after Ash thought he might loose the person who meant the most to him...
Relationships: Ash Lynx & Okumura Eiji, Ash Lynx/Okumura Eiji
Comments: 13
Kudos: 250





	The Morning After

_The morning after _normally implies pleasure. It’s a term that brings red to the faces of the bold and makes lovers bask in a heated memory.__

__For the abused, if the coined phrase is spoken, it’s with shame. It sounds different to the ear and rolls off the tongue with chokes and sobs. Every word is separate making it into an entity all it’s own._ _

__When Ash used it, it was to describe one of two things: the times he’d awake after demons danced across his pale form, and the first lit hours after the escape from Golzine’s mansion. _.___

____The morning after Shorter Died._ _ _ _

____The morning after Eiji was almost raped._ _ _ _

____The morning after Ash thought he might loose the person who meant the most to him..._ _ _ _

____The apartment was quiet this particular morning. Eiji had forgotten where he was when he awoke on the hard stained-white bed. It was dark when he was lead there, so he didn’t remember what the room exactly looked like. When Ash got back after him, the American flipped down next to Eiji and wrapped a strong arm around him. They had shared a bed before, on the run and in cramped hideouts, but it wasn’t the same. It was back to back and conscious space between them._ _ _ _

____But this morning they were linked together. Eiji could have presumed this was merely an act of protection and not affection, but it was easier to not question it._ _ _ _

____Instead, he faintly laced his fingers together with Ash’s. It was the ghost of a touch, but one that was there. Having the younger man this close made Eiji’s mind temporarily flee from those haunting thoughts of chains and drugs. It allowed him to, if only for a moment, pretend they were okay, and that this wasn’t going to disappear in any minute to come._ _ _ _

____“Mhm,” Ash began to hum in his sleep, pulling the raven haired boy flush against his chest and kissing the back of his neck and head lightly. The action made Eiji tense, which unfortunately dragged Ash into the real world. Turning himself around in Ash’s arms, the smaller of the two looked the other up and down sadly._ _ _ _

____“Morning.”_ _ _ _

____“Morning.” Ash mumbled, moving his hands so they were more around Eiji’s middle than his waist. One hand, however, continued moving until it cupped his cheek. “You doing okay?”_ _ _ _

____Eiji didn’t know how to respond. In many respects _no _, he was not okay. He wanted to scream and cry and curl up somewhere he could pretend none of this existed... but he didn’t. No sound formulated in his throat and even if he wanted to move it was as though every limb was filled with lead. So, he settled on a weak nod. “I’m so sorry Eiji... I’m so sorry you had to go through that. “___ _ _ _

______Again Eiji tried to speak, but only released a small whisper he knew Ash couldn’t hear, but he wasn’t going to repeat regardless._ _ _ _ _ _

______“It’s okay.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______Ash ran the thumb on Eiji’s face over his features carefully, feeling the cool skin beneath his touch, but keeping I light enough so it wasn’t overwhelming for either of them. The Japanese tried to relax again, but his brain was too awake and wouldn’t stop feeding him evil, haunting thoughts. He knew he was safe now, but a part of him wasn’t ready to accept that, and unfortunately, that part of his head was stronger in the moment._ _ _ _ _ _

______All of the sudden he realized Ash was wiping away tears from his eyes, even though physically Eiji wasn’t showing any other signs of crying._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Oh Eiji.” Ash looked like he wanted to lean in and kiss his face, but he stayed still and kept wiping away the other’s tears while looking down._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Thank you for saving me Ash. Again.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______The Lynx looked back up and moved his hand to rest on Eiji’s cheek again._ _ _ _ _ _

______“I’ll always come for you. No matter how far they try and take you, or what they threaten to throw at me, I’ll save you.” The light in his eyes seemed to somehow made them appear darker than normal, and Eiji watched as the white sunlight streaming in from the window rolled over the green dunes like wind running across long grass._ _ _ _ _ _

______“I cause you so much trouble. I should go back to Japan... but,” Now he felt his throat swell up and his face grow warm as more tears dashed across his face and painted the surface in dripping salt. “I don’t want to go.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“Hey, hey,” Ash sat up in bed and pulled Eiji up by the shoulders so he was facing him. “It’s okay. We’re okay. We’re together right now right?” It was hard to agree through sobs, so Eiji didn’t. Somehow Ash still understood, and cautiously pulled him into his chest for a tight hug. “Right. So let’s just take a deep breath and relax. All we have right now is this moment.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“I need to be comforting you... not being even more of a burden-,”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“Nope,” Ash stoped him, showing a little of his trademark sass in his voice. “Your needs are important too so don’t pretend they aren’t.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______Eiji didn’t argue, and breathed slowly against Ash until his crying subsided._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Thank you.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“There. Is the old man feeling better now?” If Ash was trying to make him laugh, he succeeded. Eiji pushed him away and chuckled against his will._ _ _ _ _ _

______Ash watched him, trying to smile too, but there was obvious pain behind the look. Eiji decided it was better not to point it out._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Hey boss?” Came a voice from the hallway. The two boys looked over as a short red haired man with messed up teeth peered into the doorway and looked at the two with joy and caution. “There you are. Alex got the supplies you asked for. We’re all ready when you are.” Ash looked at him and bounced between anger and his normal calm demeanor before settling on the latter._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Okay. Just give me a moment.” He slid off the bed but stopped before getting all the way off. “You can keep resting. But If you want to come join us you can.” Eiji nodded and smiled solemnly._ _ _ _ _ _

______“I’ll make tea for all your men in a little.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______Ash shook his head and let out something between a laugh and a sigh._ _ _ _ _ _

______“You are truly something special Eiji Okumura.” He leaned back and hesitated for a second before placing a quick kiss on the other’s cheek. When he pulled back he placed his hand on Eiji’s hair and curled his fingers though the dark mop. “Hey, take your time. It’s only the morning after.” The younger’s partner nodded with determination for something he didn’t know and reached to give Ash one last tight hug before he plucked his denim jacket off the back of a chair and disappeared out of the room; leaving a very startled Bones to look back and forth between his boss and the only person he’d ever seen tame the lynx._ _ _ _ _ _

______Healing wasn’t going to be easy, but Eiji knew that he wasn’t going to be alone in it. In each morning, and every day after._ _ _ _ _ _

**Author's Note:**

> Hey all 3 people that will actually read this! I started this one shot last year and just finished it at 1:30 am so you all get to read it! Yay. Thank you for those who gave it a go and I hope you have a great day!
> 
> Comments and Kudos make my heart happy! 🤩💚  
> Bye Bye!


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